After I left the three of them, I was walking alone in the forest.
　After a while, I arrived in front of a cave.

"Hmm, this brings back memories.

　After all, I hadn't been here in a thousand years.
　However, this space-time is isolated from the space we live in.
　So even though I hadn't been here in a thousand years, the scenery around me hadn't changed at all.

　In order to do my best to defeat Bugnuba, I would need a year.
　I explained that I would need to compress my training into a year's worth.


　The Cave of Trials.


　That's what I named the cave in front of me 1000 years ago.
　In this cave, you will be presented with three trials in order.
　If you complete all of them, you will gain half the power of a year's ......, if not more.

　However, you are compressing a year's worth of training.
　Naturally, the ordeal will be severe.
　I have to brace myself.

Shall we go then?

　But I'm not going to shy away.

　I stepped into the cave.
　It's pitch black inside. Not a single light.
　Normally I would use magic to light up the area, but ...... I can't do that.
　Not only is it dark, but I can't hear anything around me or in the outside world.
　It was a place where my sense of equilibrium began to go haywire.

Magic is ...... not available. Hmm, looks like it's normal.

　He squeezed his hand to confirm.
　The moment you try to draw a magic formula in your brain, it will disappear like a bubble popping.
　I tried to release magic, but it was blocked as if a blood clot had formed.
　It was clearly an abnormal situation, but I didn't panic.

I thought that after a thousand years, something would have gone wrong in this space, but it looks like I didn't need to worry about that.

　I muttered.

　The next moment, .......

"Whoa, it's started.

　A light bullet was fired at me from an angle to the right, and attacked me.
　I evade it just in time.

"This is going to be the most fun exercise I've had in a long time.

　It wasn't just one bullet. There were many more.
　I dodge them.
　Each bullet is very powerful. Even a mere scratch could blow off one of my arms if I hadn't applied any kind of warding magic.


　--This is the first test.


　It's pitch black in the cave. Your vision is blocked.
　And you can't hear anything. This is hearing.
　And to top it all off, they've disabled magic. This is because a thousand years ago, I drew a magic circle around the area where the first trial will take place.

　In other words, with my sight, hearing, and magic ...... blocked, I have to avoid the light bullets that come at me like a barrage.

　Incidentally, the light bullets are fired from magic circles drawn on the walls and ceiling.

This is quite interesting.

　I haven't played this game in a thousand years, but I'm getting carried away.
　Even though there is a magic circle that blocks magic, I can disable it right away. ...... If I do that, there is no point in doing it because it is not training.

　I made the first trial to strengthen my body.
　It doesn't matter how good your magic is if your physical strength and body language are third-rate.
　The combination of magic and body is the ideal form of a wizard ...... and a magic swordsman.

　I don't know where the light bullets are coming from. No sound. No way to use magic.
　In this situation, I continued to avoid the light bullets with only my intuition.

　Eventually, .......

"Hmm, looks like it's almost over.

　The bullets stopped.
　It was just when I had avoided the ten thousandth bullet.
　The cave was suddenly lit up.

I worked up a good sweat.

　You wipe off your sweat.
　As soon as his sight and hearing returned to normal, he was able to use his magic. I guess the first trial is over.

　But ...... was the first trial like this?
　I don't think this is a flattering way to train for a year. .......
　It's not much, but it's too much. I wonder what I was thinking a thousand years ago.

　Just as I was thinking that.

"Mmm.

　The magic circle on the wall suddenly lit up.
　Light bullets shot out from every gap in the wall, heading for me.

　Hundreds of thousands of light bullets were fired simultaneously.
　I see, so this is the real deal.
　The 100,000 light bullets that were fired at the same time, there was no room to avoid them at all.

　It looks like .........



"Oh, this is nothing to worry about.

　This time, he used his body-enhancement magic to avoid the 100,000 light bullets.
　No matter how many ...... were released at the same time, there is no way that there is an error of 0.001 seconds.
　There must be a small time gap.
　All I had to do was to find the gap and avoid the light bullets as if I were entering the gap.

　Eventually, the bullets hit the walls and ceiling, and I was able to avoid them.

A thousand years ago, I was pretty mean to you, too.

　It was impossible for me to avoid these 100,000 light bullets without using body enhancement magic.
It's a good idea to make it look like it's an ordeal to train your body, and the moment it's over, create a situation where you have to use magic.
　If I hadn't been careful, I might have been hit by one of the 100,000 bullets.
　It was a close call.

I almost forgot about the last trick .......

　But it was a good preparation exercise.
　I've loosened up enough.

"But the ordeal is over. Let's do the next one.

　A door suddenly appears on the wall.
　I dove through the door to challenge the second test.